Serya Strikes FFX
by Serya Strikes Again
Summary: Serya's first target is the faraway land of Spira.
1. Before the Attack

**Author's note: Hello, and welcome to my first fanfiction! I can't promise anything wonderful, since my family loves to watch TV in the same room as the computer. I write best when it's silent. I apologize if anything's inaccurate; it's been forever since I've played this game…Anyway, this story begins as Tidus wakes up from his canon nap in Wakka's house. For those of you who don't know the game, Tidus is a whiny blonde who appeared on the beach after his city was destroyed. Wakka is an equally annoying redhead who is obsessed with a game called Blitzball. So let's get going…**

Half-opened eyelids revealed the cerulean orbs beneath them. Tidus blinked a few times to confirm that he was awake. The young man lifted himself into an upright position and studied the small tent that he had slept in. Blitzballs and random pieces of furniture crowded the tiny space, and in getting up Tidus had to maneuver through the junk. He came close to tripping numerous times before finally making it out of the maze and into the sun.

Besaid Village was a tiny but homely place; unlike Tidus's hometown of Zanarkand, the town consisted of just a few houses and plenty of friendly people. He was greeted by a small brown dog, which he pet briefly. The puppy ran off to join its family, and Tidus continued down the path to the church. _His_ family was not nearly as accessible, since his only relative disappeared years before. However, the man he met that morning was friendly and welcoming; Tidus considered him a brother, although just the day before they were total strangers. Perhaps it was jumping to conclusions, but he was admittedly a little desperate.

There was a choir amongst the churchgoers, and they sung a beautiful hymn. Tidus closed his eyes for a moment out of respect and enjoyment. After that he searched the faces of the kneeling people and found Wakka near a staircase.

"Hey," said the blonde, "what's going on?"

"We're waiting for the summoner to complete her training. Once she emerges, she will have the strength to embark on the pilgrimage."

"Pilgrimage? To where?"

"To Zanarkand."

"Really?" Tidus almost squeaked. "That's where I'm trying to go!"

"Then you'd bettah stick with us, eh, bro? Haha!" Wakka laughed, but he was careful not to upset the other people in the temple.

"Yeah…" Tidus put his hands on his hips and rocked back and forth on his feet. Having an attention span of thirty seconds or less, he soon tired of waiting. "She'll be done soon, right?"

"No idea. She's been in there for a few days. Who knows when she'll be out."

"DAYS!?" Tidus shouted.

Wakka nearly knocked the wind out of him with the slap that ensued. "Quiet down! This place is holy, man!"

"But what if something's wrong? What if she's hurt?"

"If she's the summoner meant to save the world from Sin, she'll make it back here."

"Sin…what is that?"

"A terrible creature that destroys anything made by humans."

"Did it destroy Zanarkand?"

"It's possible, man."

Tidus stared at the dark floor for a moment. "And the summoner's going to kill Sin so the world can be all okay again?"

"Sin can't be killed. Summoners can only keep it at bay for a few years."

"Well…" Again Tidus focused on the bricks. The sound of the choir vibrated faintly in his ears. People came in and out of the temple, some staying for longer than others. All of them wore an expression of sorrow and fear. Their pessimism did not help dispel the blonde's worry.

Wakka stared at the opposite wall, obviously deep in thought. The torch beside him burned steadily. Then, all of a sudden, the flame went out. Both Blitzball players stared at the depleted wick. No one else seemed to take notice.

The sudden absence of light pushed Tidus off the edge. "I can't wait any longer!" Wakka tried to hold him back, but the blonde broke through his embrace and tore up the stone staircase. He shoved the priest aside and burst through the door.

The womb of the temple was not as ornate as he had expected; an unforgiving grey floor led to some equally bland stairs. Strange writing was the only colorful thing in the room. He could not understand a bit of it, but underneath the symbols was a shiny green sphere. Unable to resist, Tidus plucked the orb from its resting place and examined it curiously. It seemed to glow in his gloved hand. Tidus looked around the room to ensure that no fiends were around to steal his new treasure. The boy held on to his radiant possession until he came upon a door. As soon as he saw the missing knob and the small alcove, he knew what had to be done.

With a feeling in his stomach not unlike that of losing a good friend, Tidus inserted his sphere into the hole. The door peeled open with a loud creak. The blonde boy stood still for a moment, and then he had a great revelation. Having already opened the door, there was no need for that beautiful orb to stay in place! He snatched the green ball from its slot and carried it happily into the next room.

_How did the summoner get through all of this?_ he wondered as he strolled past more odd symbols. A few of them looked a bit like words he knew. Though the letters in front of and behind the little section were illegible, he was able to interpret one tiny message. _Beware of Ser…Well, let's hope the summoner isn't named Ser, then._ Tidus shrugged and continued on his way.

Underneath another foreign sentence Tidus saw a round hole. With a sigh he put his treasure against the grey wall, and suddenly part of the chamber was lifted into the ceiling. He almost cried, but then he saw something on the other side of the secret room…A few cautious steps closer made it clear that the object was another sphere! Instinct and the little words at the bottom of the screen told him that it was a Destruction Sphere. Tidus grabbed the appealing ball from its pedestal and shoved it into his pocket. _This could come in handy later._

He returned to the main room, where he had to push a few pedestals around. After breaking into a sweat, he was finally allowed to enter the Chamber of the Fayth.

It was tiny and well-lit, much like Tidus's apartment in good old Zanarkand. However, his home did not have the almost-creepy ambiance of this little room. The choir could somehow be heard from their place in the temple foyer.

A few other people occupied the cramped space; the first that Tidus noticed, for obvious reasons, was a woman with a dress made of belts and hardly any shirt. The shiny necklaces that snaked across her chest held his attention for a few awkward minutes. "Excuse me," she hissed. "Can I help you with something?"

Tidus looked into her eyes – oh my goodness, they were red! He took a few steps backward, almost reentering the Cloister of Trials, and began to whimper nonsense. "I'm so sorry! I was just…looking at the um, scenery."

The other living thing in the room, a frightening blue lion with feathers on his back and snow-white hair, did nothing but growl and glare at the boy. He had piercing yellow eyes and a very angry expression.

"You're disturbing Yuna's prayers," snarled the woman. If her voice had been transplanted into the lion's body, they would have created a monster whom Tidus would have nightmares about for the rest of his life.

"Yuna? Is that the summoner's name?" Tidus inquired quietly.

"Yes, it is. Now shut up," retorted the woman. The lion crossed his arms over his chest and nodded with contempt.

On the other side of the miniature room stood a shut door. All three of the chamber's occupants looked towards it when they heard footsteps that were not their own. The door slid open, and Tidus caught his first glimpse of the summoner. She was younger and a thousand times more beautiful than he had expected. Her hair did not pass her frail shoulders, and she had a delicate face. Her blue-black dress was embroidered with a small line of stars. She was absolutely divine…and also passing out.

The blue feline, having inhuman reflexes, was at her side before her head could hit the marble steps. The woman showed a brief look of concern, but when she regarded Tidus it turned back into a glare. She leaned over the other guardian and whispered something into his ear. He responded with something quieter than a growl to assure her that the summoner was still breathing. Tidus stood helplessly beside the wall, afraid to approach anyone because there was a very high possibility that they would either stab him or crush him with their massive…attitude.

The pair carried the summoner through the cold, grey Cloister of Trials, with Tidus close behind. Wakka met them at the bottom of the foyer's brown staircase. Tidus noted that the torch had still not been lit again. Did that mean anything? He shrugged and returned his attention to the group.

"Is she okay, Lulu?"

"I don't know," said the woman in a harsh, husky voice. "Kimahri said that she'll be fine."

"I'd trust him, then. He and Yuna have some kinda bond, I'll tell ya," said Wakka with a bit of confidence. Tidus then cleared his throat. "Oh! Right! Everyone meet my new bud. I found him washed up on the beach just the other day. He says he's from Zanarkand. He wants to come along with us on the pilgrimage."

Kimahri and Lulu exchanged glances of disapproval, but the almost inaudible moans of a person waking up stopped them from protesting. Yuna opened her blue and green eyes; the first one she saw was none other than Tidus. "Who are you?" she asked with a light, breathy voice.

"He wants to come along with us on the pilgrimage," Lulu growled.

"Well." Yuna dragged out the word to indicate a moment of deep thought. "What's wrong with having another guardian?"

"He destroyed the sanctity of the temple!"

"He was concerned for Yuna's health!"

Tidus covered his ears. "Stop fighting!"

Yuna got to her feet and dusted off her dark skirt. "He's right. Let's not disturb the other worshippers…" When she looked around, she realized that they had all left. Only one priest remained inside, and he was occupied with the task of making Tidus feel as unwelcome as possible.

"Um…can we get out of here?" asked the blonde, painfully aware of the old man's angry _harrumphs_.

"Yes! They're expecting me outside!" Yuna stumbled after taking her first step, and Kimahri immediately steadied her. His massive blue hands could have probably snapped her thin arms in half with ease, but he used them instead to keep her from harm. The girl then walked out of the temple with her guardians trailing behind.

**Author's Note: Well, there you go. That's the first chapter. I bet you want to know where Serya is. I was going to have her stalk Tidus on his way into the temple, but then I realized that her entrance could be sooooooooo much better. I promise she'll appear next chapter. Now, I hate being typical, but like everyone else on this site I'd really like some reviews. Well, see you next chapter!**


	2. Grand Introduction

**Author's Note: And so Chapter 2 begins. I must warn you…Serya is coming. Ah, my hands are cold. So I'm wearing those gloves with the little mitten-part that you can put on but don't have to use. My friend got them for me for Christmas. They're nice and comfy. Anyway, I'm going to try to stray a little from the actual storyline because…well…I can't remember most of it. XD. Enjoy!**

The entire village of Besaid was waiting outside the temple. Yuna greeted them all with a shy wave as she stepped into the center of a dirt circle. The crowd of twenty or so people stared at her with murmurs of awe and respect. The summoner turned to address her guardians, who all stood in a line near the temple entrance. Tidus was among them, having not the slightest clue as to what was going on.

Everyone expected his question. "What's she doing?"

"She's gonna summon an aeon," Wakka answered.

"An aeon?"

"A powerful spirit. You'll see." Tidus obeyed his implied command by ceasing to ask anything else.

Yuna, meanwhile, pulled a staff from behind her back and began to wave it around like a folk dancer. Light appeared from the floor and surrounded her, and then small comets flew toward the heavens. The clouds were pushed aside, and something fell from the sky. It plummeted to the ground at an alarming speed, and unless the thing sprouted wings there was little chance that it could survive the crash. Everyone watched as the strange cocoon landed beside its summoner. It was tan, just slightly darker than the path that it ripped a hole in. A thunderstorm suddenly formed, and a bolt of lightning brought the creature to life. The casing peeled away, and what appeared to be a teenage girl stepped towards Yuna. She had dark, flowing brown hair and a round but not pudgy face. Her wild eyes were the same color, and the rim of her shirtsleeves and the hem of her pants sported matching tassels. Her clothing was as tan as the cocoon that she descended in, which covered the floor around her. Her name, as everyone was to later learn, was Serya Nemarto.

The entire village of Besaid, including Yuna and her guardians, let out a collective gasp. Serya studied them with narrowed eyes and a tiny growl. Then she spotted a certain blonde-haired man on the sidelines. "I FOUND ONE!"

Immediately foam began to gather between her lips, and when her mouth could not contain the whole of it some dripped onto the sandy-colored material below her. The acidic properties of her saliva made her cocoon disintegrate in a matter of seconds.

"What is that thing?" asked one of the small children in the audience.

"It's…an aeon?" her mother answered. The woman's grip on her child tightened as Serya took a step towards the pair. However, the aeon had no interest in any member of the female species. She was here for the boys. The feral girl trained her eyes on Tidus. She advanced slowly like a serial killer in a horror film. Save for her footsteps and ragged breathing, the entire world was silent.

"Yuna! Yuna! Call it off! Un-summon it!" shrieked the boy as the rabid teenager approached. Her hand was stretched towards him, and her fingernails were almost long enough to be considered talons.

The summoner gripped her wand in both hands and spun it in a circle. A giant gust of air burst from it. Serya barely had time to turn around before she was thrust again into the sky. She howled in frustration as the wind carried her away from the crowd. She began to flap her arms, and her baggy sleeves collected some of the force. Her ascension slowed dramatically until she did not go any farther upward. Instead the girl floated gracefully down to the village.

Most of the townspeople fled to their huts, leaving only Yuna and her guardians to deal with the stubborn aeon. "I no longer require you, aeon! Begone!"

Tidus was surprised that the summoner's voice could sound so strong. "Yeah! Get going," he shouted to support her.

"You won't get rid of me that easily," Serya hissed. "I'm not leaving unless I get to take that boy with me." One claw pointed at the blonde.

Though Lulu and Kimahri's expressions suggested approval of this plan, Yuna and Wakka both refused. "Why do you want him, anyway?"

"He's the prettiest boy I see at the moment."

Yuna's green eye closed for a second as she winked at Wakka. Then she turned to face the strange girl. "So your job is to steal the best-looking boy you see?"

"That is my profession," said Serya with authority.

"Well, I know an absolutely _beautiful_ boy that you might be even more interested in!" The summoner smiled for an added effect.

Serya was not quick to believe her. She narrowed her eyes once again. "Oh really? And who might that be?"

"His name is Seymour, and he's a Maester. That's an incredibly high position in the church."

"Religion does not interest me. I only care about pretty men!" Serya folded her arms over her chest like an angry god. Her tassels shook in the wind.

"If I took you to see him, I bet you'd fall in love." Yuna's proposition was met by suspicious brown eyes. The summoner smiled once again. "He has blue hair."

This seemed to please the teenager. "Blue hair, eh? Perhaps I should consider this boy. Very well, then. Take me to him, if you please! But if he's not as pretty as you say, I shall return to my realm…and I will take that one with me!"

Tidus shivered. Lulu and Kimahri looked almost disappointed that they would not be rid of him right away.

Later in the day, as the sun began to set, our heroes finally began the pilgrimage. Serya had been forced into a collar and handcuffs made of solidified mayonnaise, the one substance that was too foul to be destroyed by her acidic drool. Tied to the cords was a long chain leash, and Kimahri held the other end. The rabid girl trudged behind the rest of the group with a significantly less wild look in her eyes. She studied the beach and the not-pretty not-boys that crowded around the pier.

Some sort of boating device waited for them. Serya was filled with a sudden delight; she loved boats! Obediently the girl stopped chewing on her handcuffs, not breaking them, of course, and caught up with the rest of the crew. "You never told me we would be riding on a boat! I'd have been agreeable from the get-go!"

"If only we could put something over her _mouth_," Lulu hissed.

Tidus felt a surge of pride as he realized that he was no longer the most hated member of the party. The blonde waved to all of the villagers on his way to the pier. A few of them handed him presents! Tidus opened the packages with enthusiasm, but he was tempted to throw the boxes aside when he realized that none of them contained spheres.

Yuna shook hands with as many of her fans as she could, but the group did not have time to chat with them all. Kimahri was last to board the ship, Serya in tow. The teenager was nearly leaping up and down in excitement. "We're going on a boat!" she shouted again and again.

The summoner turned around one last time and waved farewell to an island that she knew she would never see again.

**Author's Note: It sucks that this chapter was sort of short…but hey, I'm trying. Um, the next chapter will be about the boat ride. I'll probably put the stuff AFTER the boat ride in it, too, since it's not going to be too much stuff. Hehehe…tune in for more rabid fangirl action!**


	3. The Death of a Bucket

**Author's Note: I'm actually writing the beginning of this chapter in my Creative Writing class, so I don't have my guidebook with me. Prepare for inaccuracy. D: Last chapter ended as the party boarded a boat. Thus, this chapter will begin in a boat. Enjoy!**

**Also…OMG! SOMEBODY REVIEWED MY FANFICTION! Not Jack Frost, I officially love you.**

**Now to the story.**

The wind was nice. It blew through Serya's chestnut hair as she leaned against the ship's railing. Still bound by handcuffs and an uncomfortable collar, there was not much she could do to entertain herself. Serya watched the other passengers to pass the time. One of the sailors was sipping coffee out of a Styrofoam cup. He coughed suddenly, obviously choking on his drink, and accidentally dropped his recyclable mug onto the cruel, wooden deck of the ship. With a sigh the man returned to his quarters.

The little white cup rolled in an almost perfect circle. Little bits of brown liquid dribbled onto the deck. Serya stared intently at the moving object. She swallowed once and listened to the hiss that always sounded when her saliva met her stomach acid. As the small cup's momentum diminished, its circle became more linear. Through Fate's kind intervention, the Styrofoam container stopped beside Serya's feet.

She bent completely over and mashed the thing between her handicapped palms. Serya lifted herself and her cup to a normal standing position and admired her new treasure. "It will fit the altar perfectly," she said to no one but herself.

The girl entered her temporary bedroom, where the ship's janitors stored their equipment. Without their knowing, Serya had arranged the brooms and mops and buckets into an odd statue. Those without the mind of the rabid fangirl would see the monument and somehow draw from it the image of a lopsided person. The girl, on the tips of her toes, applied the final touch by placing the white cup atop the idol's head. "Fwahaha!" Serya cackled. "Boe, my holy altar is complete!" Then she kneeled before it and began to pray.

On the deck, Tidus watched the masses of people crowd around Yuna. Though her lips moved constantly, he was too far away to hear what she said. Her supply of fans seemed endless. _Just how many people are on this boat? It can't be legal to have more than a hundred…_

The man shrugged and watched the motion of the waves. The way the sun reflected off the water reminded him of the spheres. A pang in his stomach indicated that he had not yet curbed his separation anxiety. Tidus reached for the Destruction Sphere deep within the pocket of his shorts. Suddenly, Yuna's fanchildren found something else to do. The summoner was completely alone.

Without removing his hand from his pants, Tidus ran toward her at top speed. He was eager to speak and did not want to miss his chance. "Hello!" he panted.

"Uhh…hello," replied the summoner. She had a worried look in her multicolored eyes. "What were you just doing, exactly?"

Tidus looked down at the rest of his body. His hand was still not located in the sort of place it should be when addressing a woman, and his chest heaved from all the running. "I…um…sorry…this looks bad, I know. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Right…" Yuna stared at the sea around them.

"I promise." There was an awkward pause. "Sooo…what do you think of the wind?"

"The wind…it's nice." Yuna's tone did not suggest an eagerness to talk.

"Um...Okay, I screwed up. Can we start over?"

"When's the last time you saved?" Yuna inquired.

"At that Save Sphere back in Besaid."

"In that case, yes."

"Okay. Hi. My name is Tidus. What's yours?"

"Yuna."

"Cool. Nice to meet you, Yuna."

"You too, Tidus."

"So what's this pilgrimage about?"

"I'm going to pray at all the temples and borrow the powers of all the aeons. Together we are going to banish Sin for another few years."

"Can I help at all?"

"You can defeat fiends with the other guardians. Perhaps you could also befriend that strange aeon I summoned in the village. She seems to have taken an interest in you."

"You're right. She's in the janitor's closet right now, right?"

"I think so. See you around, Tidus." Yuna smiled very faintly and sauntered off to talk to the captain of the ship. Tidus, meanwhile, knocked warily on the closet door. A squeak nearly deafened him as a result. Serya pulled the door open just a tiny bit and peered out with one wild eye.

"IT'S THE PRETTY ONE!" she screamed in a pitch so high that only dogs could hear it. "Hello, pretty one! What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Uh…I just wanted to get to know you better," Tidus answered. He instantly regretted having followed Yuna's advice.

"Good idea, pretty one. Let's begin. My name is Serya, and I am a disciple of the holy Boe. See this altar? I am worshipping him. You are welcome to join me." The strange girl gestured towards the pile of cleaning equipment.

"Boe, huh? Is that some sort of god, like Yevon?"

"Boe is BETTER than Yevon," Serya answered. "He gives his followers chocolate and cookies and Twizzlers."

"I see…"

Serya began to hum "This is Halloween," though nobody in Spira would have any clue as to what song escaped her lips.

"Well…um…I'm going to see what's going on outside, okay? It was nice to talk to you." Tidus took a few steps toward the door, and Serya did not seem to protest.

In fact, she did not even watch him leave. With her eyes still studying Boe's altar, the girl said in a low voice, "I'm not going to let you go, pretty one. There is no escaping me. Perhaps you think that you can run, but this ship is only so big…" Then she kissed the broom that was meant to be one of Boe's hands.

Sin's timing was perfect. The waves it created as it approached shook the boat as soon as Serya had finished scaring Tidus out of his wits with her words. Yuna's anonymous fans scrambled into the cabin, and only her guardians remained on deck. Kimahri snarled and commanded the group's attention. With a number of hand signals he instructed Wakka and Lulu to remain with him. Yuna retreated to the cabin, and Tidus was stuck in the middle. He decided that it would be wiser to stay above deck, where at least he could defend himself from the monster.

Three little creatures leapt from the giant thing's fin, and they hissed and spat at the group. Kimahri led the battle, slashing one of them with his lance. It retaliated with some sort of projectile attack. Lulu finished the Sinscale off with a simple fire spell, but another one took its place on the wooden deck.

"It's no use," Wakka said, but everyone already knew. "We need to attack the fin!"

"But we need to distract these little beasts, too," Lulu added. She looked to the blue lion for advice. He let out a deep sigh and pointed at the door to the janitor's closet. Tidus rushed over and pulled it open.

Serya stepped into the setting sunlight, shielding her eyes after having been inside for the past hour. A bucket had somehow gotten stuck around her ankle. She grinned at Tidus. "Hello, pretty one. Missed me, did you?"

"Serya, we need your help. Can you get rid of these monsters for us?"

"Of course not. I'm not some weapon! I'm a little girl!"

Kimahri approached Tidus and shook his white mane as if to say, _That won't work, you idiot._ Then he pushed the blonde boy towards the monsters. They croaked and shouted, but they did not attack him in fear of the abomination behind him.

"PRETTY ONE!" Serya screeched. Foam quickly began to pour out of her mouth. Kimahri lifted her foot and retrieved the bucket with his lightning reflexes. Before any of the acid could hit the floor of the ship, the blue lion collected it in his bucket. The metal bottom began to hiss, indicating that it was about to dissolve, and before it could do so he thrust its contents at his opponents.

The Sinscales writhed and howled in pain as they began to disintegrate. Serya watched with interest, but she was mostly staring at Tidus.

Meanwhile Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri focused their attacks on Sin itself. Within minutes, the massive creature was bested. It sailed out of the water and in the direction of Kilika, the ship's destination.

Yuna returned to the deck just in time to see Serya innocently wiping off some drool with her shirt.

**Author's Note:** **Well, as I wrote the last half I was sorta rushing to call my friend. He's bored because his mom won't let him on the computer. You see, his county's undergoing a tornado warning. Poor guy. TT**

**Next chapter, the gang will finally get to Kilika. Since not much is going to happen there, I'll probably put Luca in there, too. Hehe, do you remember what happens in Luca? Everyone meets Seymour! Beware.**


	4. Kilika and Ifrit

**Author's Note: It looks like every other story on here has a disclaimer. I NEVER IMPLIED THAT I OWN FINAL FANTASY TEN. I OWN A COPY OF THE GAME, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHTS TO THE CHARACTER DESIGN OR MUSIC OR ANYTHING. HAVE A NICE DAY. Now, in this chapter, I believe that Serya is going to meet Seymour for the first time. Fwahaha.**

The ship soon reached the small port town of Kilika. The gentle waves that guided it to the dock glistened in the setting sun. Tidus had seen the shore for a while, and at first he was unreasonably excited. He was hardly able to contain his excitement at the thought of being far from Serya.

After Sin's attack, however, she had not done anything of note to him or the rest of the group. The strange girl had hidden herself away in the janitor's closet. Strange noises could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Tidus, c'mere! I wanna show you something!" Wakka shouted from the bow. Tidus met the redhead, who clutched a blue and white Blitzball to his chest. He regarded the blonde with a goofy smile.

"What is it, Wakka?" Tidus asked.

Wakka answered by tossing his ball into the air. It rose twenty feet above his head and then came plummeting towards him. As soon as it came close enough, he leapt up and bounced the Blitzball against his pointed red hair. It shot again into the sky but not as high as before. Tidus watched with interest but without awe. In his day, hitting the ball with one's head was the first trick a novice player mastered. However, he was a good friend and did not want to disappoint Wakka.

"That's so cool!" the blonde squealed. "Was that what you wanted to show me?"

"Yeah, man! Been practicin' all night!"

Tidus looked past Wakka and his Blitzball and saw what looked like a ruined village. "What about that?"

"That? Oh, that's Kilika. I guess Sin got to it before us. But isn't my trick cool?"

A door burst open, and a very excited female voice sounded. "DESTRUCTION!? WHERE!?" Serya appeared in Tidus's peripheral vision with an evil grin upon her face. "And why was I not the cause of it?"

Kimahri padded quietly behind her and snatched her chain leash. Serya was yanked off the ship and onto a tattered dock. Yuna had already departed, and she was waiting for the last of her guardians to step off the boat. People were already waiting for the young summoner.

As Tidus followed the group deeper into the destroyed village, he saw odd things floating in the water. Serya noticed them as well, and she stopped walking for a moment to touch one. The girl lifted a hand out of the sea, screamed, and set it back down. "There are BODIES in there!"

"Yes," said Yuna quietly. "I am here to perform the Sending. These souls will be sent to the Farplane, where they can rest in peace. The ocean is not a suitable grave for so many innocent people." A few of the surviving villagers nodded. Then everyone looked on as the summoner stepped into the sea.

She waved her wand in a circle as if summoning an aeon. Small white orbs of light with rainbow tails began to rise from the bodies of the fallen. Tidus and Serya, the newcomers to the land, had never seen the things before. The blonde boy's cerulean eyes were wide with curiosity, and the girl's narrowed with the beginning of a wonderful idea.

"What are those?" Tidus quietly asked Wakka.

"They're pyreflies," he answered softly. "When people die, they're released. If they're not sent to the Farplane, then they become fiends."

The brown-haired girl made odd noises without realizing that she was doing so. "Hahahohmmmharr," she muttered, "they're so shiny." One of her small hands slid into her pocket, and she pulled something from it and hid the object behind her back.

The summoner continued her dance, and the pyreflies drifted toward the sky. Most of them reached the Farplane, but a number of the little spirits were captured by a cruel glass jar. Serya's bare feet left indents in the sand as she pranced around and giggled like a small child. By the end of her romp, she had caught at least eight pyreflies in that massive container. Lulu stared at her with disbelief that she could be so sacrilegious. Tidus stared at her with disbelief that she could fit such a huge jar in her pocket.

Kimahri was so stunned that he did not tighten his grip on the leash until the damage had been done. He yanked Serya back onto the dock, nearly dragging her to the floor and breaking her jar in the process. She did not seem to realize that he was scolding her with his angry glare; the girl squeaked, "Look at what I caught! Aren't the little buggies so cuuuuuuuute?" She rubbed her cheek against the glass.

"Yuna, Tidus, Wakka, you three go to the temple. Kimahri and I should keep this menace far from it. It's the only building still standing," said Lulu coldly.

"Good idea," whispered Wakka.

Serya watched them like a sad puppy as the three trudged through the rubble. Yuna was leading the pack. "I'm sorry that I ever summoned her," she said to Tidus.

"Don't worry about it," replied Tidus. "She's not so bad most of the time…"

"Those poor souls…" The girl's voice trailed off as they neared the temple.

The Cloister of Trials was much like the one in Besaid, but instead of having blue spheres the majority were red. Tidus was pleased to know that these new orbs set things on fire. He pocketed a few of them, as well as another Destruction Sphere, and then followed the other two into the Chamber of the Fayth. Yuna entered the sanctum, and the boys waited patiently outside. She was only there for a few minutes, much to the relief of the blonde.

"I have a new aeon," Yuna said on her way out. "Maybe it can save us from Serya." She flashed Tidus a grin.

"What's its name?" asked Wakka.

"Ifrit. He's a fierce, fiery dog. Serya will be terrified!"

"Let's see if it works," said Tidus. Then the three returned to the dock.

Serya was waiting very impatiently. She chewed on her handcuffs with gusto. Kimahri stood near her with his arms crossed over his chest. Lulu gently stroked the head of her doll. The mage was the first to greet the returning guardians. "Welcome back. We've managed to keep her at bay. Did you obtain the aeon?"

Yuna answered with numerous flicks of her wand. The ground beneath her turned to stone, and then she was lifted into the sky. Underneath the platform was a gigantic ball of fire. Something brown and orange burst from it. The explosion knocked Yuna to the floor, but the creature that caused it ran to her and dutifully licked her face. Ifrit was a small puppy with fearsome horns and massive claws. He had a bright orange mane and the cutest face ever. Serya was quite pleased.

"OH MY BOE IT'S A PUPPY!" squealed the girl. She ran to the creature, who had to be around two feet long and eight inches tall. Serya ruffled its brown and orange fur, and the little dog yipped happily in response.

"Damn," Tidus grumbled. "Some help _he_ is."

"At least she's distracted," Lulu muttered.

The girl scratched behind Ifrit's brown ears until his legs thumped uncontrollably against the wooden floor. A loud creak suggested that they stop.

"Great," said Wakka. "Well, I guess we'd better head to Luca."

"What's in Luca?" asked Tidus.

"The biggest Blitzball stadium since Zanarkand got destroyed!"

Tidus's blue eyes lit up at the word "Blitzball." He grinned and rushed to the boat. Serya was more than happy to board the vessel again, especially since she now had a little puppy to play with.

Most of the voyage took place that night, so the passengers were all in their bedrooms except for a few. Serya, of course, was one of them. Still collared and handcuffed, she explored the deck with little Ifrit at her side. He sniffed every rope and barrel in their path. The dog looked up at his new friend on occasion to thank her for being there with his cute little eyes.

Then the girl heard voices, and this time they weren't in her head. Lulu and Wakka were on the upper deck, speaking quietly to one another. Serya peered at them from the bottom of the stairs. Ifrit growled softly, but she silenced him with a pat on the head.

"What's gotten into you, Wakka? You've been spending less and less time with me. I know you love Blitzball, but it's gotten out of hand. And that boy…why do you like him so much?"

"He seems like a nice kid," Wakka retorted. "And as for the rest of the stuff…I don't really know, either. I've just felt kinda strange the past few days. When I wake up I get this really bad feeling in my stomach, and I can't stop eating the weirdest stuff…"

Serya and Lulu listened with interest as Wakka continued. "Every so often I get these horrible cramps in my stomach, and it's really affecting my mood."

Lulu's intense red eyes studied him. "You know, you should think of a better way to describe how you feel. Those words made it seem like…"

Serya finished her sentence. "HE'S PREGNANT!"

"Pregnant?" said Wakka. "What the hell? Men can't get pregnant."

"In _your_ universe, maybe," Serya hissed, "but where I come from it's normal. Don't you worry. It'll all be over in a few months." Then she and Ifrit ran into the janitor's closet, leaving Wakka to digest her words.

Serya spent the rest of the night staring fondly at Tidus as he slept.

**Author's Note: I've realized that I try to pack a lot more into one chapter than I actually end up writing…But next chapter, Seymour will DEFINITELY appear. I promise. And sorry it took me so long to write this one; I do, believe it or not, have a little bit of a life.**


	5. Proposal

**Author's Note: Welcome to Chapter 5! Today the group will finally meet Seymour. Aren't you excited? You should be. And I hope you all did something for Earth Day! If you pollute, Sin will come eat you. We can all learn something from Spira.**

"LAND HO!" bellowed an excited female voice. Serya skittered around the ship, waking the people she knew and disturbing the one she didn't. Her last target was Tidus. She stood beside his bed and studied him with her hands on her hips. "Tidus, you lazy bum. I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here." When the boy didn't answer, she threw a rock at his head.

"Ow!" hissed the blonde, instantly awake and rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

Ifrit caught on and barked something that translated to _I guess I'm the only one working on the raft._

"Land ho," Serya repeated. "We're at…y'know, that place that we were going."

"Luca?" Tidus asked, still stretching and blinking slowly.

"Yep, sure. Now get up! Come on!" The girl nearly pushed him off his cot. Tidus grumbled and reached for his shirt. "No time for clothing!"

"I can't go out there in my pajamas. Not in front of Yuna, anyway."

"You like Yuna?" Serya narrowed her eyes.

"Sorta," Tidus admitted. "She's pretty, isn't she?"

"I don't swing that way, buddy. Sorry. The only pretty person _I've_ noticed is you." Little Ifrit nodded his head. Had he a tail, it would have been wagging impatiently.

"Well…um…thank you?"

"You're welcome, Pretty One. Now, let's gooooo!"

The ship's passengers were unloaded onto a massive concrete dock, and from it the whole city could be seen. Luca was absolutely massive, a Zanarkand in the making. Its almost-white streets were filled with kind-looking people. All eyes were on Yuna for a moment, but then suddenly murmurs filled the crowd and the passersby focused on something else. Tidus followed their gaze to see two figures nearing the ship. One was short and old and frail-looking, and the other was young and strong. The latter possessed hair as blue as Kimahri's fur. Speaking of which, the lion and his captive were the last two off the ship.

Serya's eyes widened when she saw Seymour for the first time. He was at least _mildly_ pretty, despite the evil aura about him. His cerulean hair was arranged in erratic lines that must have taken quite a bit of gel to create. Seymour wore a shirt that displayed most of his chest, which was painted with equally strange patterns. Or were they veins? The girl could not tell.

"Maester Seymour!" Yuna shouted. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"As am I, Summoner Yuna," the man answered in a strained, husky voice.

"Oh no," Serya said to her puppy, "he's a pedophile." Ifrit shivered.

The blue-haired man ignored her remark and focused his creepy eyes on the summoner. "There's something I've wanted to ask you, my dear." He took his large but not pretty hands and clasped Yuna's between them. The Maester towered over her, but he compensated by kneeling.

"What is it, Maester Seymor?" Yuna inquired, a little frightened.

"I've heard you're carrying a terrible burden…and today I offer to share the load." His face twisted into a sly smile, and the aura of his piercing blue eyes sent shivers down Serya's spine. She held tightly to one of Ifrit's horns and watched as the summoner's face changed from scared to very excited.

"Oh, Maester Seymour, that's just what I wanted!" Yuna squealed, kissing the top of his clammy hand. "She's been creeping me out the entire pilgrimage so far!"

"No need to call me Maester," said the alleged pedophile. "You are welcome to call me Honey or Baby or Muffincakes. That is, after all, what married people do." He pulled a ring from out of nowhere and slipped it around Yuna's frail finger.

"M-married?" Yuna sputtered. "Since when are we married?"

"Since you accepted my proposal just a moment ago, my dear." Seymour was as cool as a cucumber, but the summoner was nearly hyperventilating.

"I thought you were offering to keep Serya away from us!" she shouted. "I don't want to marry you!"

Seymour narrowed his eyes in a manner similar to Serya's. "I am a Maester. You have no choice. Defy me, and I will damn you to Sin's intestines." He tightened his grip on her hands and smiled twice as evilly as before.

"I don't wanna take him with me anyway," Serya commented. "He's pretty, but he's definitely scary. He's the kind of guy who'll betray you halfway through the game and try to kill you right before the final boss fight." She folded her arms over her chest.

The group looked at her with raised eyebrows and then returned their attention to Yuna.

"Fine, Seymour, I'll marry you…I suppose a few decades of suffering is better than an eternity of digestion." Yuna sighed in resignation.

Tidus felt his stomach sink. The girl he had a crush on had just promised herself to another man! What was he going to do? His eyes wandered to the place where Lulu's shirt would have been if she was dressed a little better. She met his curiosity with a glare that had the same fearsome quality as that of Kimahri. Serya ruffled little Ifrit's orange mane to mask her shiver.

"Excellent," said the Maester as he returned to his feet. "The wedding will be in two days. I'll see you in Bevelle." Then he turned to leave.

"WAIT!" Serya howled, and then she ran up to him. The strange girl pulled her jar from one of her magical pockets and handed it to him. He examined the pyreflies within the glass walls and accepted it without a word.

Suddenly the little spirits joined together, and a fiend was formed from them. It appeared to be a very angry lizard-like creature, with four legs and a very long neck and tail. The thing spat fire from its mouth, though it was not enough to damage anyone. Seymour's present shattered into thousands of pieces as the fiend expanded. When it reached its full height, it reached the top of Seymour's obviously styled hair. The lizard snarled as it regarded the group. Everyone assumed battle positions, including Serya and Ifrit.

The battle was over before anyone could react; suddenly the monster was cut perfectly in half by a massive blade. Its owner, a mysterious man with one hand tucked inside his shirt, wiped the blood from his weapon. His tall collar hid his smile.

"Oh my Yevon," said Yuna. "Are those…its organs?" She pointed at the disgusting, squishy-looking objects that oozed from the fallen fiend. Ifrit was tempted to eat them, but Serya held him back.

"Oh my Science," said Serya. "Is that…a PONYTAIL!?"

From beneath his sunglasses the man stared blankly at the teenager. "Don't you care that some poor monster's blood is, like, getting on you?"

Serya glanced at her feet, which were surrounded by red liquid. "Hm. I guess not. OH MY GOD WHY CAN'T MORE GUYS HAVE PONYTAILS!?"

"Auron!" Tidus squeaked, splashing through the blood. He knelt beside the man and clasped his hands together in prayer. "You are my only memory of Zanarkand! Why did it take you so long to come find me?"

"Can it, kid," Auron huffed, now in character. "We need to continue the pilgrimage now."

"What about my wedding?" Yuna asked the man.

"We'll be able to get one more aeon before you get hitched if we hurry. Djose Temple isn't far from here. It's just on the other side of the Highroad."

"The Highroad?" asked both Serya and Tidus.

"Yes. It's a very long, straight path. If we're lucky and avoid all the fiends, it could take a good twenty minutes to cross."

"And if we get into a battle?" Tidus inquired.

"Could take hours. Let's hurry," growled the older man. Kimahri and Lulu shot him a look of appreciation. Auron led the group out of the city.

Wakka looked back with longing in his eyes. "What about the Blitzball tournament, man?"

"No time. It's not like you could have won anyway," grumbled Auron. Wakka hung his head and followed in silence.

Serya, enjoying her freedom, trotted alongside Ifrit. His little tongue flopped up and down just in front of his mouth as he walked. His sinister yellow eyes were alight with joy. Though he kept a close eye on her, Kimahri did not subject her to the restraints. She had been relatively well behaved.

The Highroad stretched before them; not even Serya's superior eyesight could locate the end of the path. At least the group's surroundings were green and happy. Auron charged down the dirt road without even glancing at the grass that it bordered. Kimahri and Lulu did the same. Wakka concealed his tears by keeping his eyes on the ground. Tidus and Yuna stayed close together. He was tempted to hold her hand, but she was taken now. It would be wrong. He, too, let a tear run down his cheek.

"Hey, um, Aaron," Serya shouted from the back of the posse, "I think Ifrit's onto something."

The little brown dog had his nose to the ground, and he seemed to be following something's trail. Suddenly he began to dig ferociously, and his efforts revealed a hidden tunnel. Lulu approached the puppy. "It can't be," she gasped.

"What is it, Lulu?" asked Yuna.

"It's the Lowroad! There's a legend about this path; it's a way to bypass the Highroad, but no one's ever found it."

"Good boy, Ifrit!" Serya praised the dog with a pat on the head, which was received with earnest.

"I'll take the Highroad, you'll take the Lowroad," Serya sang as the gang traversed the dark tunnel. Ifrit lit the path with a small, perpetual burst of flame. "This sure beats melting things with my spit," she added in the silence.

Not more than ten minutes later, Auron was the first to resurface. His gangsta shades protected his eyes from the sudden presence of sunlight, but the rest of the group groaned a bit when they ascended the final staircase.

Djose Temple was within sight.

**Author's Note: Well, now it's not Earth Day. But hey, you should still do nice things for the environment. See, who told you reading fanfiction is useless? Anyway, it saddened me that I got no reviews last chapter. But hey, maybe you guys will like this one. Next chapter brings a new aeon to the team!**


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